John Hart — The Little Brewer, Business, Community & Finding Balance

John Hart — The Little Brewer, Business, Community & Finding BalanceThis week on The Wānaka Edit, Janey and Hannah sit down with John Hart, owner of The Little Brewer in Three Parks.John has called Wānaka home since 2004 and has watched the town change from gravel roads and ski-bum culture to the Wānaka we know today.We chat about how The Little Brewer started with a coffee cart, the leap into opening a café, and what it really feels like to build your own business when the pressure, self-doubt and financial stress start to kick in.John also talks really openly about mental health, losing himself in work for a period of time, the friends who called him out, and finding his way back through some of the simple things — getting outside, spending time with good people and learning to celebrate the small wins.We also talk about the culture he has created at The Little Brewer, why community is such a big part of the business, roasting his own coffee, and how Three Parks is changing as Wānaka continues to grow.In this episode:What Wānaka was like back in the early 2000sHow The Little Brewer went from coffee cart to caféThe reality and pressure of running your own businessMental health, stress and finding balance againWhy having the right people around you mattersCreating genuine community through hospitalityRoasting The Little Brewer’s own coffeeThe changing face of Three ParksJohn’s favourite local Wānaka spotsJohn’s approach to The Little Brewer is simple — create a place where people feel welcome, where conversations happen, and where customers feel more like part of the community than just another person walking through the door.Follow The Little Brewer: @thelittlebrewerThe Wānaka Edit shares conversations with the people, businesses and ideas shaping Wānaka.For the latest property and local market updates, visit Colliers Wānaka.